Briefly noted

July 12, 2005

The Christian Reformed Church will continue to be governed by men only—for now. At its annual policymaking meeting, held in Palos Heights, Illinois, the all-male CRC Synod on June 15 backed away from a proposal to allow female delegates. When a majority of regional governing groups allows female ministers, then allowing women delegates should be considered, delegates decided. Twenty-two of 47 of the church’s governing bodies, called classes, allow female ministers. The vote came shortly after one woman urged delegates to have the “courage” to allow female delegates. But others feared the move would open up wounds from the CRC’s decades-long battle over women in office. Said Daniel Mouw of South Grandville (Michigan) Christian Reformed Church: “There are many people who still believe deeply women should not be serving as ministers.”

The United Church of Canada, the country’s largest Protestant denomination, has called for an “immediate” moratorium on the approval of new genetically modified foods. The church wants a “more rigorous and independent system of approving, regulating, monitoring and labeling GM foods.” In a letter sent last month to Canadian prime minister Paul Martin, the church outlined the genetically modified food policy approved recently by its General Council executive. The recommendations include the mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods; guaranteeing the right of farmers to save, reuse and exchange seeds; and guaranteeing that Canada’s trade and food aid policies do not promote—directly or indirectly—the adoption of GM foods in countries that have not explicitly chosen to do so.